Tourism News

New book on cruising to include Saba

Story and photo by Suzanne Nielsen and reprinted with permission of the Daily Herald.

September 28, 2008

A new publication for tourists cruising the Northern Lesser Antilles will feature Saba, along with other islands.

Journalist Irena Kucharikova was on Saba last week gathering information for a new publication in preparation by Wiley Nautical Publishers. Kucharikova said the North Caribbean Cruising Companion would include all islands from the US Virgin Islands to Dominica. She has made St. Maarten her headquarters for the time being and came to Saba for a full day of touring the island, visiting hotels and restaurants, and diving the Saba Marine Park. She returned with a pack full of materials on the island, as well her individual camera shots.

Kucharikova, who is from Slovakia, but grew up on Malta, knows the marine environment very well: she has been a chef and first mate on many yachts for years. She was recommended for Wiley job to gather information and write the book because of her extensive knowledge of what kind of information is useful to the traveller. She said that the intension is to make the book interesting to all travellers, not just those on cruise ships or yachts.

Kucharikova said that she was amazed at the beauty of the island and the warmth of the population. She said, "I have seen a lot of natural beauty in my own travels, but never so much in one spot." She commented on the cleanliness and tidiness of the island. She is considering returning for her own wedding, planned for sometime next year.

Saba taxi driver and guide Donna Lockhart and Tourism Office staff member Zuleika Levenstone accompanied the journalist on her tour of the island. Kucharikova said that Wiley will published the Northern Antilles Cruising Companion in the first half of next year and then will go to work on doing the southern half of the archipelago.

Wiley Nautical bills itself as a complete resource for all kinds of sailors and water users. Its site (www.wileynautical.com/) headlines sailing news and weather updates and advertises over 100 of its publications on water sports and sailing books. These include "cruising companions" such as the book Kucharikova is researching.

Wiley Nautical is part of John Wiley and Sons, English publishers since 1807. Its core business is to publish scientific, technical, medial and scholarly journals, such as Frommer's UK travel books and the yellow-jacketed "Dummies" series of how-to reference books.

Photo: Journalist Irena Kucharikova picks up promotional materials from Saba Director of Tourism Glenn Holm

Click here for a larger version of the photo.


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Story and photograph © Suzanne Nielsen, 2008.